Poinsettia plant named ‘Bonpoiakaichi’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘Bonpoiakaichi’, characterized by its compact, upright and mounding plant habit; freely branching habit; mid-season flowering response; inflorescences with intense red-colored flower bracts; and excellent post-production longevity.

Botanical designation: Euphorbia pulcherrima.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Bonpoiakaichi’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Bonpoiakaichi’.

The new Poinsettia a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Cobbitty, New South Wales, Austrialia. The objective of the breeding program is to create new freely branching Poinsettia cultivars with attractive floral bract coloration.

The new Poinsettia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in January, 1998 of the Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar Gutbier V-10, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,235, as the female, or seed, parent, with a proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number 26, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Bonpoiakaichi was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Cobbitty, New South Wales, Australia.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Cobbitty, New South Wales, Austrialia since June, 1999, has shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Bonpoiakaichi has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Bonpoiakaichi’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Bonpoiakaichi’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and mounding plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Mid-season flowering response.     -   4. Inflorescences with intense red-colored flower bracts.     -   5. Excellent post-production longevity.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Cobbitty, New South Wales, Australia, plants of the new Poinsettia differed primarily from plants of the female parent, the cultivar Gutbier V-10, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Poinsettia were more compact than plants of         the cultivar Gutbier V-10.     -   2. Plants of the new Poinsettia had smaller leaves than plants         of the cultivar Gutbier V-10.     -   3. Plants of the new Poinsettia and the cultivar Gutbier V-10         differed in the flower bract coloration.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Cobbitty, New South Wales, Austrialia, plants of the new Poinsettia differed from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Poinsettia were more compact than plants of         the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Poinsettia had lighter green-colored leaves         than plants of the male parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Ponsettia flowered slightly later than         plants of the male parent selection.     -   4. Plants of the new Poinsettia had lighter red-colored flower         bracts than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Ponsettia can be compared to plants of the Poinsettia cultivar 490, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,825. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Cobbitty, New South Wales, Australia, plants of the new Poinsettia differed from plants of the cultivar 490 in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Poinsettia were more compact than plants of         the cultivar 490.     -   2. Plants of the new Poinsettia were less vigorous than plants         of the cultivar 490.     -   3. Plants of the new Poinsettia had smaller and lighter         green-colored leaves than plants of the cultivar 490.     -   4. Plants of the new Poinsettia had narrower flower bracts than         plants of the cultivar 490.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Poinsettia. These photographs shows the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Poinsettia.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bonpoiakaichi’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘Bonpoiakaichi’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia during the winter in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Poinsettia production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 28° C. and night temperatures averaged 18° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Single plants were grown in 15-cm containers and pinched one time. Plants were about five months old when the photographs and the detailed description were taken.

-   Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima cultivar     Bonpoiakaichi. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd.             cultivar Gutbier V-10, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No.             4,235.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Euphorbia             pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number 26, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About ten days at 20° C. to 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About four weeks at             20° C. to 25° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous, fleshy; light brown to             white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant habit and form.—Compact, upright and mounding plant             habit; inverted triangle. Inflorescences positioned above             the foliar plane. Moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 21.6 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 31.4 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Quantity: Freely branching             habit, about eight lateral branches develop after pinching.             Length: About 11.3 cm. Diameter: About 4.5 mm. Internode             length: About 2 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: 146A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:             About 12.3 cm. Width: About 6.9 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex:             Acute. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Irregular and shallow lobes;             dentate. Venation pattern: Pinnate; reticulate. Texture,             upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower surface:             Pubescent. Color: Developing foliage, upper surface: 143C.             Developing foliage, lower surface: 144A. Fully expanded             foliage, upper surface: 147A; venation, 46A. Fully expanded             foliage, lower surface: 138A; venation, 48A. Petiole:             Length: About 3.7 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: 46A. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound             corymbs of cyathia with colored flower bracts subtending the             cyathia. One inflorescence per lateral branch. Flowers are             not fragrant. Flowers persistent. Inflorescences positioned             above the foliage.         -   Natural flowering season.—Autumn/winter, inflorescence             initiation and development is induced under long nyctoperiod             conditions. Mid-season flowering, response time is about             eight to nine weeks.         -   Post-production longevity.—Excellent post-production             longevity; plants of the new Poinsettia maintain good             substance and bract color for about two months under             interior conditions.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 22 cm. Height (depth):             About 4 cm.         -   Flower bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About ten.             Length, largest bracts: About 11.8 cm. Width, largest             bracts: About 6.9 cm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Acuminate.             Base: Truncate to obtuse. Margin: Entire or irregular and             shallow lobes. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous; velvety. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color:             Developing or transitional bracts, upper and lower surfaces:             46A. Fully developed bracts, upper and lower surfaces: 45B;             venation, 46A. Bract petiole: Length: About 1.7 cm.             Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             53A.         -   Cyathia.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 18. Diameter of             cyathia cluster: About 3.8 cm. Length: About 9 mm. Width:             About 7 mm. Shape: Globose. Color, immature: 143B. Color,             mature: 143B to 143C. Nectaries: Quantity per cyathium:             Typically one. Size: About 4 mm. Color: 3A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 3.7 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Strength: Strong to moderately strong. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: 145A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per cyathium: About             ten. Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: About 0.2 mm. Anther             color: 60A. Amount of pollen: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to             9A. Pistils: Quantity per cyathium: One. Pistil length:             About 4 mm. Style color: 60A. Stigma shape: Three-parted.             Stigma color: 60A. Ovary color: 145A. Seed/fruit: Seed and             fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Poinsettias. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have been     observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 12° C. to about     40° C. 

1. A new and distinct Poinsettia plant named ‘Bonpoiakaichi’ as illustrated and described. 